To make your home more energy efficient, you can make two significant upgrades: smart home integration and programmable thermostats. If you live in Florida, where storms and heatwaves are prominent, you should consider these modifications.
That’s why our HVAC experts at Action Air Conditioning have provided a detailed guide explaining the benefits of smart home automation and programmable thermostats to improve your home’s efficiency and comfort.
How Does a Programmable Thermostat Work?
Programmable thermostats are digital or electromechanical devices that automatically manage your home’s temperature. Digital thermostats have multiple setback settings, system overrides, and adjustments for daylight savings, which may be difficult to program. In comparison, electromechanical thermostats often involve pegs or sliding bars and are simple to program.
Although smart thermostats offer convenience by operating temperatures through your smartphone, their programmable counterparts are just as effective. They allow you to pre-determine the temperature in your home for several days and times during the week. In addition, they store multiple daily settings that you can manually override without affecting the rest of your preferences. Furthermore, they allow you to adjust temperatures based on a pre-planned schedule, and that’s useful for managing heating and cooling when on vacation or working.
What is Smart Home Integration?
Smart home integration (automation) exceeds HVAC energy efficient upgrades to include monitoring and effective management of your lighting and security systems, appliances, ventilation, and irrigation. However, smart HVAC control is an energy-saving feature that allows you to cool or heat your home from a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
These systems may also use smart heat pumps that use an air or water source to manage your home’s temperature. More importantly, this technology can connect with dehumidifiers to manage your household’s humidity levels.
Advantages of Programmable Thermostats
Here are several benefits of using programmable thermostats for your home:
- They are more convenient and accurate than manual thermostats while improving your home’s comfort
- Consistent
- Convenient
- Contain no mercury
- Save approximately $150 per year on your energy bill
- They’re environmentally friendly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Optimizes HVAC systems
- Saves time for users
Limitations of Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats have only two limitations due to their compatibility restrictions. First and foremost, they are not recommended for heat pumps because they can cause your unit to operate inefficiently when the pump acts as a heater. So, it’s best to maintain a modest setting on your thermostat.
Secondly, these thermostats are not ideal for electric resistance systems (baseboard heating) requiring thermostats capable of controlling 120- or 240-volt circuits. And only a few companies manufacture these types of thermostats.
Despite the slow response times of steam and radiant floor heating, some manufacturers offer thermostats that track heating system performance to determine when to turn it on to reach comfortable temperatures.
Benefits of HVAC Smart Home Integration
The following are the advantages of smart home integration for HVAC systems:
- Energy efficiency
Smart home automation for HVAC, including smart thermostats, helps homeowners save approximately 8% on utility bills. With home automation relying on AI-based algorithms, smart thermostats use Wi-Fi to adjust your temperature from any smart device while providing data on your habits and routines.
This data is collected via sensors deployed throughout your home, gathering detailed information from those algorithms regarding occupancy, temperature, humidity, and air quality.
- Demand flexibility
Demand flexibility is the capacity of demand-side loads (energy consumption control) to change consumption patterns on different time scales. It helps consumers use less power, making electricity more affordable.
- Enhanced security
With remote monitoring and alerts, you can ensure that no unwanted parties touch your HVAC systems. This allows you to have 100% control over your home’s heating and cooling without interference.
- Temperature control anytime and anywhere
Manage temperature settings from your smart devices.
- Reliability and consistency
AI-controlled systems provide consistent temperature control and are reliable when you’re not at home to manage your home’s settings.
- Learn from your energy and climate data
Sensors allow you to collect data surrounding your behavioral patterns and learn how to maximize your future energy savings.
Rely On Action Air Conditioning For Your HVAC Needs
When it comes to energy-efficient upgrades for your home, our team at Action Air Conditioning is knowledgeable about the latest technology to help you improve your home. Our professionals specialize in:
- Installation
- Inspections
- Maintenance
- Repairs
If you’re looking for reliable, stress-free HVAC service, Action Air is dedicated to serving your needs in Tampa Bay, Florida. Don’t hesitate to contact us now with any questions or to receive a FREE estimate.